Country Club Owes State, County Taxes

BY CAROL HANN

Although the auction of the Barbara Worth Country Club, also known as Imperial Palms Resort, LLC, was postponed on the steps of the Imperial County Court House on August 2, 2017 because of the filing of bankruptcy, Imperial County officials have not received an official notice that verifies the bankruptcy filing.

A letter dated August 10, 2017 from the office of Karen Vogel, Imperial County Tax Collector, states that Imperial Palms and Resort, LLC owes Imperial County $123,061.32 in back transient occupancy taxes and $63,884.34 in prior year secured property taxes. Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) is included in the price of a hotel room.

The resort paid the TOT for the second, third, and fourth quarters of 2015, but not for the first quarter of 2015. The TOT tax was not paid for the entire 2016 tax year and no payments have been made in 2017.

According to a spokeswoman in the tax collector’s office, the county has attempted to negotiate a payment plan for the taxes that are in arrears, but the resort has not responded to the county’s offer.

The county has filed liens on the property for failure to pay taxes owed to Imperial County.

According to records in the office of Imperial County’s County Clerk/Recorder, Imperial Palms Resort, LLC has had numerous liens filed against it, including some by the State of California for failure to pay under the provisions of the California Unemployment Insurance Code, the Revenue and Taxation Code, or both. Many of the liens are current, including some that the State of California has filed against the property.

During a recent phone call to the resort, it was acknowledged that the resort has 78 guest rooms. Room rates are set at $87.00 a night for a single room with one king size bed, and $102.00 a night for a double, with two queen size beds.

The dining room is now closed and a resort employee did not know when it would reopen. However, food and beverages are served in Caddies Sports Tavern, which is
open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

The golf course and the pro golf shop are open seven days a week. The current summer golf course rates for an 18 hole round is $25.00 person including a cart, and a round of playing 9 holes with a golf cart is $20.00 per person. The pro golf shop currently employs four persons and during the summer is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.